Handfasted (To Love a Governess Novella) (12 page)

He wished there was a future, but what could he offer her?

Timothy shook his head and looked out the window.
 
He couldn’t believe he was thinking about Katrina being his wife. Though he supposed it was only natural given they were handfasted and the intimacies they had shared, but it was also unfair to her.
 
He wasn’t sure why, other than what he already listed, but he was positive there were more.
 

She shouldn’t become a governess either.
 
She was too beautiful by half and should at least visit London once.
 
No doubt several men would line up to bcome her husband and she would never have to think of supporting herself again.
 

Katrina stirred in her sleep, mumbling something incoherent.
 
He wished she would wake. He had plans for her and didn’t want to waste any of their time together sleeping.
 
A grin pulled at his lips.
 
He would simply wake her.

Timothy moved to the opposite seat and bent over to kiss her cheek.
 
Katrina barely stirred.
 
He worked the fastenings of her gown as he kissed her neck and the skin as it was exposed.
 

“Roll over, Katrina.”

She did as he commanded though he doubted she was fully awake.
 
He slid the gown from her shoulders and down her arms and did the same with her chemise, exposing her to him. Her nipples tightened and he brought his mouth to one and suckled.
 
Her fingers threaded through his hair and Timothy looked up for a moment.
 
Katrina was wide awake and watching him now.

He returned his attention to her breasts while one hand snaked up her thigh beneath her skirts. Katrina wiggled and adjusted her body as his fingers found the folds of her womanhood. She was already damp for him and despite what he had enjoyed earlier, his cock rose in anticipation.
 
It was a shame he could not take her fully.

Timothy kissed his way down her stomach until he met with the barrier of her dress.
 
Undeterred he moved further down the seat and disappeared under her skirts, kissing and licking his way up each thigh until he reached her curls.

“What are you doing?”
 
Her voice screeched and she tried to put her thighs together.

“Giving you the same pleasure as you brought me.” He thought she would have understood that.

“I don’t recall reading about this or looking at any pictures.”

Timothy bit back a grin.
 
Did she think the only things that could happen were within the pages of those books. “I am sure if you read far enough you will find reference to this.”

“Are you sure?”

Timothy looked up from beneath her skirts.
 
“Yes. Now please open for me.”

She bit her bottom lip as if not sure what she should do.
 
Timothy gently flicked her nubbin and Katrina moaned.
 
He did it a second time and her thighs relaxed and fell open.
 
He disappeared beneath her skirt once again before she had time to close herself off.
 

* * *

Katrina couldn’t believe she was allowing Timothy to do this, but didn’t have the will to stop him.
 
When his tongue licked the most sensitive spot she almost came undone.
 
Between his fingers pumping inside her and the magic of his mouth Katrina couldn’t remain still.
 
The pressure built behind the place he licked and everything inside her seemed to tighten as if she were going to explode like last night, but it was different.
 
Just when she thought it would happen, he changed rhythm with the motion of his tongue and fingers.

More moans escaped from the back of her throat as the pressure pain built and she dearly hoped the coachman couldn’t hear her.
 
His tongue circled her nubbin a few times before he swept across completely undoing her. The tight spiral within exploded and Katrina saw tiny lights beneath her eyelids as pleasure washed through her body.
 

She thought Timothy would return to her but he remained under her skirts and she couldn’t imagine why. Not that she cared about that at the moment. She was concentrating on getting her breathing under control and hoped her heart would stop racing.
 
Just when she thought everything was back to normal he licked the inside of her thigh.
 
Surely he wasn’t going to do that again.
 
Was it even possible to orgasm so quickly after such a powerful one?

His tongue gently swept over her nubbin and Katrina jerked and hissed due to the sensitivity.
 
Timothy withdrew and concentrated and the area immediately around that spot and the tightness began once again.
   
He increased the pressure and before she knew it another explosion occurred, this time deeper inside, unlike any other she had experienced before.

Timothy slowly withdrew his fingers, sat up and smoothed her skirts down.
 
Katrina lay like a rag doll on the seat, unable to move or think.
 
She was partially unclothed, but she didn’t even care about that.
 
All she wanted to do was bask in the aftermath of her orgasm.
 
Goodness. She would never be the same again.

The carriage rolled to a stop and Katrina hastened to fasten her dress.
 
The coachman knocked on the door without opening it this time and Katrina scrambled to pin her hair and smooth out her dress.

“We have arrived in Willanton, Lord Timothy.”

Chapter 10

Willanton?
How did they get here so quickly? They were to have spent at least one more night at an inn and Katrina planned on seducing him so that he would do everything possible. She knew he had misgivings and wanted to leave her a virgin for her future husband.
 
He just refused to accept there would not be a future husband.
 
Governesses simply did not wed because they had such little opportunity to meet the right gentleman.

Timothy turned to her.
 
“We made better time than I anticipated.”

Her heart squeezed at the thought of parting from him so soon.
 
Their time together had to end.

He leaned forward and gently kissed her.
 
“I’ll see about getting you a room.”

He didn’t say us, but one for her, which meant he was going to leave today.
 
Wasn’t it almost evening? Shouldn’t he stay the night and start off in the morning when he knew there would longer hours to travel in the light.

She waited for him in the carriage hoping there were no rooms so they would have to move on to the next town and he could bring her back the following day, or even the day after that.

Oh, she was being selfish.
 
Timothy did have his own life to get to and he had gone out of his way to bring her to Willanton. She should just be thankful for the time they had.
 

She glanced out the window to the town that hopefully would not be her home.
 
A dress shop was directly across the way, as well as a milliner, haberdashery and mercantile.
 
The town seemed to be thriving. She’d thought it was mu smaller than this.
 
Katrina slid across the seat to look out the other window. They were before an inn at the moment but beside it was a pastry shop or bakery and further down another shop of some sort but she couldn’t make it out from this distance and at the angle of the carriage.
 
There were a number of people out and about going from one place to the next.
 
This appeared to be a very pleasant place to live.

Timothy opened the door and stuck his head inside. “I have arranged a room for you. I told the proprietor that we are married and that you were going to remain here while I traveled on to Middleton on business.”

Katrina wondered why he was telling her this. It was the truth after all.

“They seemed to question why a husband would leave his wife behind and I hinted at illness.
 
You can explain about wanting a position as a governess if you wish.”
 
He shrugged.
 
“I thought it best that you deal with the situation so that you have a better chance at securing the job.”

“Thank you.”

Timothy helped her from the carriage and the coachman took her trunk from the back of the carriage.
 
He escorted her up the flight of stairs to a room at the end of the left.
 
“I’ve paid in advance for a week. That should see you through the time needed for the interview.”

“You didn’t need to . . .”

“I am your husband. It would look odd if I did not pay your way.”

She supposed he was right.
 

The coachman set the trunk down beside a wall and exited the room closing the door behind him.

Timothy turned to Katrina and took her hands in his before he leaned forward and gently kissed her.

She pulled her hands away and embraced him, deepening their kiss. It was Timothy who broke contact first. He brought a hand up and gently touched her face. “I don’t think I will ever forget this trip.”

“Nor I.”

“Take care and be well, Katrina.”

“You too.”
 
Tears blurred her vision but she refused to let them fall. There would be plenty of time after he was gone.

Timothy turned to open the door and disappeared in a matter of moments leaving her alone.
 
She threw the lock in place and rushed to the window.
 
She was just in time to see him get back into the carriage and a moment later it was driving off.
 

The tears streamed down her face and Katrina allowed them to.
 
She suspected she would cry several times over the next few days.

* * *

Timothy blinked a few times, surprised at the moisture and looked out the window to the passing scenery.
 
Katrina’s tears had almost been his undoing, but they both knew this was to end.
 
He stretched his legs forward to get more comfortable and his foot connected with the bag of books.
 
A smile pulled at his lips. He was fairly certain she had not left them behind on purpose.
 
He would need to see about returning them to her, but not now, not today. It would have to be a time when he was no longer susceptible to her tears and when his heart was stronger. When he wouldn’t be tempted to take and keep her forever.

This parting was painful enough. He couldn’t imagine how much more painful it would have been if he had actually taken her virginity. He may not have been able to part from her at all.

* * *

Timothy stared at the charred ruins of what had once been his manor house.
 
“Two years?”

“Yes, Lord Strotham. We wrote and told you about it.”

He turned to Mr. and Mrs. David.
 
They were the caretakers for the estate and he had been sending them monthly payments for the upkeep since he inherited.
 
“I never received your letter.”

“That explains why you kept sending the funds.
 
They weren’t enough to rebuildso we kept it in the bank until you decided what you wanted to do and instructed us accordingly.”